It’s always an honor to receive a scholarship. Students may be athletic, showcase academic excellence or participate in programs that award financial assistance, but not everyone has the same opportunities.
What about the students who have experienced significant challenges in life and continue to push, to strive, to be resilient?
Jeremy VanDevender was one of those students.
The 1994 Plainfield High School graduate knows his involvement in basketball saved him from bad choices and destructive behaviors.
“I was a troubled kid,” he said. “Thirty years ago, you didn’t talk about your problems. People just thought I was a jerk. The truth is I was wild and rebellious, but in reality I was fragile, sad and scared.”
He recalls a moment on the high school basketball court when he was able to score 27 points in 14 minutes, winning the game and hearing the crowd roar.
“It was one of the greatest moments of my life,” he said. “It made me feel whole and I knew what accomplishment was really like.”
He went to college, graduated as a physical therapist, and helped found one of the largest physical therapy companies in the country with more than 700 locations.
He was working at the World Financial Center in New York City on September 11, 2001.
“I was inside when the first plane hit,” he said. “I had walked outside to get breakfast at 8:48 a.m. and the south tower was hit right above me. My office was destroyed and it was terribly traumatic, but it was also one of the first times in my life where I was able to draw upon that resiliency and get through the trauma. It’s that resiliency that has allowed me to be successful.”
VanDevender sold his company and began re-evaluating the way he gives back.
“When I was in the position to do substantial gift giving, it led me back to Plainfield High School and I began thinking about what would have mattered to me at that age,” he said.
In 2023 he donated a recovery room for athletes at the high school, fashioned after professional recovery rooms across the country.
“It mimics what the University of Alabama and the University of Florida have,” he said. “It’s a lounge for athletes to do focused recovery on their bodies and their minds in the school environment. It’s a first of its kind for high school athletes and I’ve heard great things so far.”
Then he thought of another idea that, if available in 1994, could have changed everything for VanDevender.
“It’s easy to give a scholarship to the valedictorian or the best athlete,” he said. “That wasn’t my story. I was very average with a 3.0 GPA and I had so many things pulling me down, but with a little bit of help, it could change the trajectory.”
He calls it a Grit Scholarship.
Students must be seniors in high school with intent to attend a four-year university in the fall of the same year as graduation, have a minimum GPA of 3.3, write a personal essay sharing their story and rationale for the scholarship, and also include three letters of recommendation regarding their character.
Administration, including Principal Pat Cooney, selects a pool of students who they know have overcome challenges, and pass the list on to VanDevender.
“Pat Cooney is incredible,” VanDevender said. “He’s kind and cares tremendously about his student body. He walks the halls and creates an environment at Plainfield High School that is caring, loving and supportive.”
For the first two years, one student was awarded the scholarship for $10,000: Kadence Roehm (2023) and Matthew Raubuck (2024).
In 2025, one student will receive $10,000, one student will receive $5,000 and two students will receive $2,500.
Winners in 2025 are Danielle Mansfield, Sofia Reyes, Katelyn Sanchez and Eleanor Pies.
Unlike the “put your head down and push through” kind of environment VanDevender recalls from his high school days, many students now aren’t afraid to share what they’re going through.
“The students have been stunningly open and more accepting of each other than I imagined kids being today,” VanDevender said. “They are accepting each other and their challenges with no judgement.”
After receiving a potential candidate list from the school, he interviews each one and selects the scholarship winner. This year there were too many to choose from, so doubling the amount awarded was the only option as far as VanDevender could see.
“In years prior, I had four or five finalists to interview, and this year I had 15,” he said. “That was great because it means there’s a lot of kids who fit the bill. It’s a really diverse group and it shows kids are not immune to challenges based on socioeconomics, gender, family dynamics, etcetera.”
He wanted to reconnect with the teen basketball player who found accomplishment in an encouraging coach, a successful game or the little moments of achievement, and he found many students are going through similar struggles to what he experienced as a teen.
The scholarship is meant to give students choices. Perhaps they never dreamed of attending a specific school due to tuition costs, or perhaps they just need someone in their corner, rooting them on to do bigger and better things.
“This really impacts their life,” VanDevender said. “To receive $2,500 as a high school senior with virtually no support is a really big deal. My hope is to transform their journey, open doors to schools they never thought they could go to, and to inspire them to look beyond what they thought was possible.”
In addition, he hopes to take what he’s doing at Plainfield High School and expand the scholarship program across Hendricks County.
“This is shining a light of resiliency in the face of adversity,” he said. “I want to raise awareness and celebrate these kids who have overcome challenging circumstances. It’s important our communities are aware and support them. I was one of those kids 30 years ago, and literally by the grace of God, I didn’t end up in a bad situation. Life is hard. It’s humbling and inspiring to see what these kids are doing. It gives you a better view of the world.”
